Guardian Angel
by ManaChan
Summary: Another fic! Not my first written though. I got a lot of good e-mails about this one. It's kawaii!


Hi all! This is an alternate reality fic. Not dark, but lots of WAFF.  
Ooooh...sugar...  
  
  
  
Guardian Angel  
  
by  
  
Mana  
  
@---  
  
Ranma sniffed as he turned around and looked at his mother for the last  
time for Kami knows how long. All he knew was that he and his father  
were going to go on a long, long trip.   
  
He forced back the tears as he vainly tried to remember her face, tear  
streaks and all. Raising his chubby hand, he waved one more time before  
his father urged him to move faster.  
  
Looking down at the street under his tiny feet, he forced himself to run  
and keep up with his father's fast pace. A sound lashing would occur if  
he so much as whined about the rate they were traveling.   
  
His father had given him a stern lecture about being a man earlier. He  
would not tolerate anything that was not manly. That included  
complaining, whining and crying.  
  
However, right at the moment, Ranma didn't think he could handle it.  
Tears were gathered in his eyes, longing for home burning hot in his  
heart. It had only been a few minutes, but he missed his mother  
already.  
  
"Don't cry," whispered a voice.  
  
Ranma lifted his heavy head up and looked around. The voice didn't  
belong to his father, and he was the only person around. He sighed and  
once again looked to his running feet. His sides were beginning to  
burn, but he dared not say anything.   
  
"It'll be okay, you'll see." The voice came again.  
  
"Huh?" Ranma questioned out loud. They were at the train station now,  
and it didn't seem like anyone was talking to him. He wondered if he  
was imagining things as he and his father boarded the train.  
  
There were no more whisperings as the train traveled. It was also gone  
when the train stopped and Ranma was once again walking at a fast pace.  
The five year old found that he was missing the voice, though it only  
spoke two simple sentences to him. Those sentences however, were  
comforting and warm. They made him feel better, and now he longed to  
hear it again.  
  
It wasn't until they had finally reached their destination and had  
unpacked their heavy bags did the voice come back. Ranma was exhausted.  
His father only sat and watched impassivly as Ranma tried to put up his  
own tent. When he had asked for help, his father only told him to grow  
up and learn to do things for himself.  
  
Ranma began to tear up. He had been at this for hours, foregoing dinner  
to set up his tent. It had gotten dark and was threatening to rain.   
  
"Boy, if you don't get that tent up, you're going to sleep outside."  
  
Ranma drew in a shaky breath and once again picked up the confusing mess  
of rods and fabric. *Please, someone help me. I'm so tired and  
scared.* The little boy sent his plea up to the heavens.  
  
Suddenly a warmth passed over him, and Ranma closed his eyes, savoring  
the wonderful feelings. Warmth, caring, happiness, and most of all,  
love.  
  
"I'm here, Ranma, I'll help you," the voice whispered again.  
  
"Thank you," he whispered back.   
  
Together, with his voice, he finally got the tent up. He moved his  
heavy bag inside and laid out his sleeping bag. After eating the  
snacks his mother packed him, he peeked outside and heard his father  
snoring in his tent across the dying fire.  
  
A long, jagged bolt of lightning crashed through the sky, followed by  
the deafning crash of thunder. Ranma whimpered and dove for his pack,  
pulling out a stuffed bear his mother had given him. Then he  
proceeded to burrow deep into his sleeping bag. He buried his face into  
the soft plush as more thunder and lightning crashed around him.  
  
He felt arms around him and stiffened, sitting up. He was the only one  
in the tent. He slowly relaxed as the warm feelings flooded through him  
once more. "Who are you?" he whispered out loud. "How come I can't see  
you?"  
  
"Do you want to see me?" the voice asked. After Ranma nodded, a figure  
appeared next to him. The figure was a small girl about Ranma's age.  
She had short bluish black hair and big brown eyes. She grinned  
kawaiily at the boy, who was shocked at her transparancy. "Hi! My  
name's Akane."  
  
"Wha...what are you? I can see through you!"  
  
Akane lost her smile. "I'm your guardian angel, silly!" She hit him  
lightly on the head with a mallet. "Stop looking at me like that!"   
  
"What are you suppose to do?" the boy questioned. He hugged his bear a  
little tighter as more noise sounded.  
  
"I'm going to protect you!" The girl smiled proudly at him. "I'm gonna  
be with you and be your friend." She paused. "I'm sorry you were taken  
away from your mommy," she said softly to him.  
  
Ranma felt the tears build up again. "Mommy," he whispered, laying down  
and hugging his stuffed animal tightly. "I miss her so much. I just  
want to go home."  
  
Akane curled her transparent body next to him, trying to give him  
warmth. "It's okay Ranma...I'll be with you now. I won't leave."  
  
Ranma nodded, as he began to drift off. Snuggling deeper into the  
comforting heat, he whispered a thank you before falling completly  
asleep.  
  
@---  
  
Years passed and Akane was always by his side. She became a pleasant  
constant in his hectic life. If he needed someone to talk to, she was  
there to listen.   
  
Ranma sighed. He was now eight years old. Being on the road all the  
time, the boy was more like an adult than a little kid. The only   
child-like fun he ever had was when he was with Akane.  
  
Well...there was Ucchan, but Akane was with them then too. For some  
reason the other child could see the angel. He and Akane had left  
Ucchan two years ago. The were all sad that they were parting ways, but  
promised to meet again.  
  
Before they left, Ucchan told them a funny story. Her dad had asked if  
she wanted to marry Ranma. Both Akane and Ranma looked at each other  
then at Ukyo.   
  
"Eeeew...who'd wanna get married?" asked Ranma, making a disgusted face.  
  
"Baka!" yelled Akane, as she whacked him on the head with her mallet.  
"People get married because they love each other." She turned back to  
the other girl. "What did you tell him?"  
  
"I said no, of course." Ukyo looked at the two of them. "I thought you  
two were gonna marry each other. I mean, aren't you boyfriend and  
girlfriend?"  
  
"WHAT?!" they both yelled. Then they pointed at each other. "To  
HIM/HER?!" Then they both stopped and glared.  
  
Ukyou just laughed. She laughed until tears came to her eyes and her  
sides ached. Akane and Ranma both stopped and looked at the laughing  
girl. Wiping her tears, Ukyou put her arms around the pair.   
  
"You two are the best friends I've ever had. Don't ever change!" She  
gave them a small hug and ran to her father, who was calling her. She  
waved and called back to the two. "See ya!"  
  
Suddenly, Ranma was brought rudely out of his memory when his father hit  
him on the head.  
  
"Stop daydreaming boy! We got a new technique to learn!"  
  
Ranma sighed and looked up. He was in a foul mood. Akane had  
dissappeared hours ago and no matter how many times he called her in his  
mind, she didn't answer. "Let's get started then."  
  
He stood impatienly as his father wrapped fish sausages around him.  
*What's he doing now?* Unexpectedly, his dad gave him a hard shove that  
sent him tumbling down into a deep pit.  
  
He landed roughly and pushed himself to his feet, groaning. He waited  
for his eyes to adjust to the darkness as his father placed a cover over  
the opening. Looking around, he was freaked to see dozens and dozens of  
glowing eyes. They were everywhere. As his eyes got better adjusted,  
he saw that he was surrounded by cats. They were all watching him and  
hissing intently. He gulped when he saw their sharp teeth and claws.  
  
"Dad!" he screamed. "Let me out of here!" The cats started to come  
closer. "Daddy, please! Let me out!" Suddenly one pounced, and Ranma  
screamed as the others did too, clawing and biting at the fish sausage  
tied around him. He screamed in pain as the tearing continued, his  
senses beginning to burn with pain. He let out one final plea, his  
voice full of pain and fear.  
  
"AKANE!!!"  
  
Up in heaven, the angel's head snapped up. Her friend stepped back in  
surprise at the wild look in her eyes. Suddenly the blue haired angel  
vanished.   
  
*Ranma!* her mind screamed. She had been visiting her friends in heaven  
when a feeling of uneasiness passed over her. She brushed it off,  
however, thinking it was nothing. Then, as she was talking, feelings of  
fear began to claw at her gut. In one sudden moment, a tidal wave of  
pain crashed into her. She could only feel one person like that.  
Ranma.  
  
A few seconds after he called, Akane appeared next to him. The boy was  
curled up into a fetal position, whimpering and crying. The cats were  
still clawing at him, trying to get the last few scraps of meat.  
  
Gasping in fear, the angel knelt down next to him, the cats quickly  
backing off, sensing that this wasn't a regular being. She let out a  
small cry when she saw all the blood and cuts on the boy.  
  
"Oh, Kami," she sobbed, throwing herself onto the shaking body. "I'm  
sorry, Ranma. I'm so sorry!" She carefully hugged the body under her.  
  
After a few moments, Ranma's body slowed it's shaking and began to  
uncurl. He felt his heart lighten, recognizing the warmth on, and in  
him. He felt her power flow through him, easing his pain and healing  
some of the more major injuries. He felt her beginning to flicker and  
weaken, as she continued to heal him. He waited for her to stop, but  
she continued, never relenting on the power she was giving him.  
  
He pushed her off him, yelling "Stop!"  
  
She stayed in her hunched position, sobbing into her small hands. "I'm  
sorry," she whispered, over and over again.  
  
"Akane..." he began, but was cut off.  
  
"Don't. I failed you. You...you could have been killed...I..." It was  
all she got out before the sobs came again.  
  
"No." He hugged his crying friend, a little frightened when he saw that  
her body was even more transparent than usual. He could barely see her  
at all. "You came when I needed you. You've always been here. You're  
my best friend, Akane." He hugged her tighter. It hurt him when she  
cried. "Please, stop crying."  
  
"I won't fail you again," she promised him. "I won't."  
  
He nodded and stood up as he heard the cover being removed. Never again  
would he allow his father to do this to him. Or to her. It was time to  
fight, if only for her.  
  
@---  
  
True to the vow he made, from that day forward, if he didn't want to do  
something his father didn't push him on it. It had taken a few beating  
for his father to get it through his thick head that his son was  
serious.  
  
To say that the old man was proud was an understatement. To have his  
son be able to beat him at such an early age was amazing. He didn't  
know what suddenly gave his boy the confidence or motivation, but  
whatever it was, he made a wish for it to stay with the boy forever.  
  
Many more years passed and the training continued. Ranma and his father  
visited many dojos, Ranma making sure his father stayed polite, always  
working for food and shelter when needed. His father hadn't stolen  
anything since he was twelve, when the boy had discovered the habit and  
beat it out of his old man. With the help of Akane, of course.  
  
She was great to have around. Not only was she fun to be with, but she  
was a great training partner. She taught him how to manipulate his  
energy and how to heal. She showed him pressure points and her hammer  
trick. Man, was that one fun to learn.  
  
And boy, was she ever kawaii. She had the sunniest smile and the  
prettiest brown eyes. Ranma was, as any other teenage boy, beginning to  
notice girls. There were pretty ones, but in his opinion, no one as  
pretty as Akane.  
  
Ranma shook his head and sighed sadly. She was his best friend.   
FRIEND. That, and she was also an angel. It would never work. She was  
gone again, visiting her friends in heaven. She left for a few hours  
once every month or so.  
  
His father continued down the path in front of him. This was the last  
training ground the were visiting before returning to Japan. They had  
been in China for the past two months. Now at sixteen, he was a handsome  
young man with extrodinary skills.  
  
Akane suddenly appeared next to him, a smile on her face. "Hi!"  
  
Ranma smiled back, a warm feeling spreading in his body, his heart  
speeding up a little. "Have fun?"  
  
She nodded, blushing a little at his smile. *He's so cute.* She was  
almost sixteen. Just a little less than a month to go. Her body was  
changing nicely, and so were her thoughts about the boy she knew since  
they were five. "So where are we going now?"  
  
"A place called Jusenkyo. Something about it being a legendary training  
ground, or something like that."  
  
"Hrm..." she frowned in thought. "That place...it sounds really  
familiar..." She shook her head a little. "I have a funny feeling  
about this place."  
  
"Well...too late to go find out about it now, we're here." Ranma hopped  
up onto the pole after his father, ignoring the stuttering guide.  
  
"Ah sirs! What you doing!"  
  
Akane watched, a sick feeling growing in her stomach.  
  
"Please, sirs! Very bad if you fall in spring!"   
  
Akane held her breath as Genma hit the water. After waiting a few tense  
moments, she was startled to see a giant panda leap out of the pool.   
  
Ranma pointed, obviously upset. "Wha...wha...wha..."  
  
"That spring of drowned panda!" called out the guide. "There is tragic  
legend, very tragic of panda who drown there two hundred year ago. Now  
whoever fall in that spring take body of panda!"  
  
"Oh no..." said the two teens at once.  
  
Ranma, with his guard still down, suddenly got knocked off the pole he  
was on and plummeted down head first. He screamed as he saw the  
approaching water.  
  
"Ranma," Akane called, "Look out!" With that, she launched herself at  
the boy, bodily knocking him away from the spring and towards land. The  
both rolled to a stop, only inches away from falling into another  
spring.  
  
Genma watched as his son suddenly flew at a 90 degree angle from the  
downward fall. *What the...* Then he brushed it off, thinking that it  
was coincidence.  
  
"Oh sir, you very lucky, yes! You almost fall in spring of drown girl.   
Is very tragic legend of girl who drown there 1500 year ago. Now  
whoever fall in spring take body of girl."  
  
Ranma didn't answer. He simply laid on the ground, on top of Akane.   
They were both breathing heavily from the adrenaline rush. Their arms  
around each other in a hug of relief.  
  
Akane shivered when his hot breath brushed against her cheek and into  
her ear as he whispered his thanks. She gave him a little squeeze  
before letting go.  
  
Ranma's body and heart screamed as she loosened her hold, wanting to  
tell her not to. She was so soft and warm. He shivered when she  
squeezed him. He had to use all of his concentration to keep his body  
from reacting.  
  
Getting up, he sighed as he looked at his furry father. "Is there  
anyway to change him back?"  
  
"Yes. Hot water change back."  
  
"Lets go get some then."  
  
@---  
  
"Here sir, is amazon village. Very strong women here."  
  
Ranma and Akane looked around. "Be careful, Ranma. I've heard about  
amazons. If you defeat one of them in battle, you have to marry her."   
Ranma nodded.  
  
"Come on. We'll just sneak through. Don't touch anything." He glared  
at his father, who was eying the table full of food. The panda growled  
and rubbed his stomach. "Yeah, I'm hungry too pop. But it's too much  
hassle getting food here. We'll get food at the next place."  
  
The two men and a panda quietly snuck through the village. Ranma snuck  
a glance at the battle and admired the purple haired girl. *She's  
good...cute too.* Akane glared at him and whaped him lightly on the  
head.  
  
Luckily for them, there was a restaurant near the village. After  
getting some hot water, Ranma and his father both asked for some food,  
offering to work for it.  
  
The owner agreed, pointing to a couple of bowls on the counter. He  
didn't remember until too late what was in one of the bowls.  
  
Ranma screamed as his hair started to grow at a quick rate. It was now  
trailing on the floor and was still growing.  
  
Genma blinked hin disbelief. "Son! How are you doing that?"   
  
"I don't know, pop, but make it stop!" He paused to glare at Akane, who  
was laughing. *Stop it, Akane. It's not funny!* he yelled at her in  
his mind.  
  
"Yes it is," she said, calming her laughter. She grabbed a piece of  
string and touched it to his hair. "Quick, braid your hair." He did as  
he was told and she tied the string to the end of the braid. He asked  
for a pair of scissors and cut off the rest of the hair that was below  
the tie.  
  
"Lucky you found the dragon whisker son. How did you know?" the shop  
owner asked, looking at the boy curiously.  
  
Ranma shrugged. "Um...I guess I overheard it from someone..."  
  
Akane was chuckling next to him. "You gotta keep that whisker in your  
hair now, or your hair will grow like it was before."  
  
Ranma glared at her, then at his father, who was badgering the shop  
owner about the whisker. "Knock it off pop." He turned to the keeper.   
"What do we gotta do to repay you?"  
  
"No, no" the owner said. "It's on the house for the trouble I've caused  
you."  
  
Ranma nodded and bowed politely. "Thank you. We'll be on our way now."   
With that, the trio quickly left the shop, heading towards the beach.  
  
About halfway there, Akane suddenly stopped and cocked her head to the  
side, as if she was listening to something. She noticed that the men  
were still moving, and caught up with them, still listening intently.   
  
*What is it, Akane?* Ranma would have asked out loud, but his father  
was right next to him. He conveyed his question mentally to the girl.  
  
"I gotta go."  
  
*Go? Where?*  
  
She looked a little worried. "To heaven. I've...I've got to report in  
for a bit."  
  
By now, Ranma was looking a bit worried too. *How long will you be  
gone?*  
  
"I'll meet you at the beach." Unexpectedly, she leaned up and gave the  
boy a light kiss on the cheek. "Bye!"   
  
Ranma blushed and brought his finger tips up to where her lips brushed  
his skin. The spot tingled in a nice way. He smiled up at the sky,  
hoping that it would happen again.  
  
@---  
  
Ranma laid back and looked at the stars in the night sky. He and his  
father had reached the beach hours ago. Night had fallen and there was  
still no sign from Akane. He was really beginning to worry now.   
  
His father was sound asleep, and snoring, right next to him. Ranma,  
however, couldn't sleep. He had a feeling he wouldn't be able to sleep  
until he heard from Akane.  
  
*Well,* he thought to himself, *we're going home tomorrow.* It would be  
a long swim back to Japan, but he was confident he could do it. It had  
been about a week since the Jusenkyo incident and it would take only  
about a day to swim to Japan {AN: ...ano...is that right...?}. His  
father told him that they weren't going to go home right away. He had a  
few friends to visit first. That was fine with Ranma, as long as they  
got to go home sooner or later.  
  
"Akane," he whispered, his thoughts turing back to the angel. "Where  
are you?"  
  
"I'm fine, Ranma," her voice whispered back to him. "Go to sleep, I'm  
still busy here."  
  
He sighed in relief and snuggled deeper into his sleeping bag. "Okay.   
G'night, Akane."  
  
"Sweet dreams." He smiled sleepily as he felt an invisible kiss on his  
forehead.  
  
Ranma woke up the next morning to the sound of crashing waves. Looking  
to his father's sleeping bag, he found it empty. A trail of footprints  
headed to the village further down and he knew his father went to get  
some breakfast for them.  
  
He streched and yawned before getting up and repacking his and his  
father's sleeping bags back in their packs. "Hey Akane!" he called out.   
  
"Yes?" The girl appeared in front of him. She was looking at the sand  
below her.  
  
"We'll be leaving in a few hours to swim back to Japan. You up to it?"   
Ranma asked, not noticing the sadness in his best friend. He was too  
happy at the thought of going home.  
  
Akane started. "Um...about that..." She looked up at him and quickly  
looked back down.  
  
He instantly sobered up. "What? What's wrong?"  
  
"You know how I had to go give my report yesterday? Just like that?"   
Ranma nodded, not liking the sinking feeling he was getting. "I gave it  
and got an order."  
  
"What's the order?"  
  
"I'm sorry, Ranma," she said softly. She raised her sad eyes to his.   
"I can't go to Japan with you."  
  
"Whadaya mean ya can't go with me?!" He was so upset, he couldn't even  
speak properly, like he had learned from Akane. "You ain't confined to  
China, coz we started out in Japan."  
  
"Ranma," she chided. "Your language!"  
  
"Dammit, Akane," he growled, grabbing her arms. "What'd they say to you  
up there?"  
  
"I...I can't be your guardian angel anymore." She said it so quietly,  
Ranma had to strain to hear what she said. He dropped his hold on her  
and took a step back.  
  
"But..but.." He looked desprately at her, hoping that she was joking.   
She wasn't. "But why not?!"  
  
"Because you don't need me anymore." She drew in a shuddering breath.   
"You can take care of yourself now." A tear rolled down her cheek.   
"I'm sorry, Ranma."  
  
Ranma felt a tearing inside. Tears began to sting his eyes, his throat  
tightened to the point where he could barely breath. "I do need you,  
Akane. I do." He put his hands on her shoulders and waited for her to  
look up at him. "Please. You're joking right? Or they are? Please  
Akane. You can't go."  
  
She was crying now, her shoulders moving delicately. The wind was  
tossing her hair about, the strands shining in the sunlight. Her eyes  
were closed and her cheeks flushed. Her red lips were parted, moist and  
perfect. The only flaw were the tears streaming down her face,  
glistening with their own beauty in the sun. He felt her hands gripping  
his arms for support.  
  
She took a shuddering breath and stepped shakily out of his hold. "But  
I must," she sobbed. "I must. I'm so sorry."  
  
"Akane," he called out to her. She was slowly vanishing, becoming  
lighter in front of him. "Akane! No!" She was nearly gone. His  
cheeks were now streaked with tears of his own.  
  
"Good bye, Ranma." She whispered, as she completely dissappeared.  
  
"AKANE!"  
  
"I love you."  
  
The boy fell to his knees, never feeling so empty or alone. "I love you  
too. I love you too, Akane," he whispered back.  
  
@---  
  
It had been a month since that day on the beach. Genma had returned to  
his son, only to find him on the sand, crying softly. He was about to  
rip into the boy for being so unmanly when something inside him told him  
not to. That, and his survival instinct wanting to stay away from a  
beating.  
  
The boy had lost his spark. Whatever happened that morning had nearly  
killed the boy. Only the thought of returning home to his mother kept  
him going.  
  
Ranma didn't speak unless he was spoken to. Even then, his answers were  
short and emotionless, just bordering on polite. He just didn't have  
the energy to. *Akane...* His thoughts were always on her. He  
couldn't even feel her presence anymore.  
  
He missed her horribly. Her smile, her eyes. The cute way she giggled  
when they played a joke on his father. The sound of her voice and the  
way she made him feel like he could do anything. It was just...all  
gone.  
  
"Last one, boy" his father said, breaking him from his thoughts. "Then  
we'll go home."  
  
*Home...* Ranma looked around. The place looked very familiar. There  
was a sense of deja vu here.  
  
"Our house is a few blocks from here. We'll head there after dinner  
tonight." His father entered the gate and proceeded to the front door.   
Knocking, he and Ranma waited patiently as footsteps approached.  
  
"Oh, hello!" The woman who answered the door had long brown hair and  
grey eyes. She smiled nicely. The aura around her was very relaxing.  
  
"Ah...hello Kasumi-chan! How is your father? Is he home?"  
  
"He's doing fine, uncle. Follow me, I'll take you to him."  
  
The house was nice, Ranma noticed. Big and bright. Following the girl,  
they made it to the dining room where a man sat drinking tea.  
  
"Ah! Tendo!" his father exclaimed.  
  
"Saotome? Is that really you?" The man stood up and the two men shared  
a friendly hug. "And who is this?" The black haired man asked,  
gesturing to Ranma.  
  
"This is my son, Tendo. Ranma, say hello to Tendo Soun. I trained with  
him when we were young."   
  
Ranma bowed politely. "Kobanwa, Tendo-san."  
  
Soun nodded. "It's nice to meet you, Ranma-kun. Let me call my  
daughters." Before he could say anything else, two girls came in.   
There was the girl who answered the door. She was carrying a tray with  
tea and snacks. The second girl had short brown hair and brown eyes.   
"Ranma, these are my two eldest girls. Kasumi," the long haired girl  
nodded to him, "and Nabiki," The other girl nodded her hello.   
  
"Hi. I'm Saotome Ranma. Nice to meet you."  
  
"Kasumi, where's your sister?"  
  
"She's out jogging, father. I'm sure she'll be back soon."  
  
Soun nodded. "I'm sorry my youngest daughter isn't here. You can meet  
her when she gets back." Ranma nodded politely, and then proceeded to  
stare moodily out at the pond in the backyard.  
  
"Youngest, Tendo? Did you finally find her?"  
  
Soun nooded happily. "They found her in an orphanage about a month ago.   
She's been gone for so long."  
  
"It's sad how she was kidnapped as a baby from the hospital that night."  
  
Kasumi and Nabiki looked at each other, then at Ranma. After trying to  
start conversations with him, they gave up. Ranma was not in the mood  
to talk today, even if it was rude. Today would be exactly one month  
since Akane left.  
  
A movement from the walk way next to the pond caught his eye. The  
figure was shadowed and vanished quickly into the building separate from  
the house. Lights then shone in the yard as the small building lit up.  
  
"Are you interested in martial arts, Ranma?" Kasumi asked, trying once  
more to draw him out. He seemed like he was in emotional pain.  
  
He nodded absently, half hearing the question. "Been doing it since I  
could walk."  
  
"Would you like to go look at the dojo?"  
  
He got up and answered affirmitivly. When the girls began to rise, he  
stopped them. "It's okay, I can get there on my own. You two don't  
seem like martial artists anyway."  
  
"Yeah, you got us there. Our little sister is the martial artist of the  
family." Nabiki nodded towards the dojo. "Go on, it's a nice place."  
  
Ranma nodded his thanks and headed out.  
  
"Isn't he the sociable one," Nabiki said once he was gone.  
  
"Now Nabiki, he's just quiet, that's all." Nabiki snorted. "Maybe  
Akane can get him to open up..."  
  
@---  
  
Ranma took his time getting to the separate building. The yard was  
nice, the koi pond reflecting the moon and stars magically. As he  
approached the dojo, he heard the rhythmic thumping of feet doing a  
kata. From what he could hear, it sounded like one he knew.  
  
Reaching the closed door, he cleared his throat and knocked once,  
letting the person inside know that he was coming in. The slid the door  
open gently, so as to not disturb the person.  
  
Ranma stepped inside, taking a good look around the dojo first, ignoring  
the person that had stopped in the center of the dojo. Finally his eyes  
focused on the being and they widened when they saw who it was. He took  
a shaky step inside, completely unaware of anything but the figure in  
front of him.  
  
"Akane," he breathed, as if he was afraid she'd vanish if he moved or  
spoke too abruptly.  
  
There she was. His angel. His love. She looked exactly as he  
remembered her, except she was dressed in a gi and was sweating a bit.   
They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity until she  
smiled, breaking the spell.  
  
Suddenly, he was holding her, his arms wrapped tightly around her small  
body. His face was buried in the crook of her neck and she wound her  
arms around his neck.  
  
"Oh, Ranma," she whispered into his ear. "How I've missed you."  
  
"It's you!" he cried, smothering her face and neck with butterfly  
kisses. "It's really you! You came back to me."  
  
Akane laughed, her hold on him tightning. "I love you so much, Kami-  
sama let me come back." His face stilled, eyes focusing on hers. Both  
their hearts were beating quickly, tears in their eyes.  
  
Ranma raised his hand to her cheek, caressing it softly. "I thought I  
was going to die without you. It hurt so much."  
  
"I know," she whispered. "I hurt too." She brought her lips up to his  
and they pressed together lightly before pulling away.  
  
"I love you, Akane," he said, his breath hot on her face. "I'm never  
letting you go."  
  
"I love you too."   
  
With that, the two once again pressed their lips together. Lightly at  
first, just small pecks that gradually escalated to longer, deeper, more  
passionate kisses.  
  
@---  
  
Author's Notes:   
  
Wow. That was way mushy. I don't think I've ever written that mushy  
before. Blame it on all the mushy mushy (and I mean mushy) Sailor Moon  
fics I've been reading lately. Lemme tell you, there are MUSHY ones out  
there. Mushier than mush even.  
  
My first alt. fic. Like it? Hate it? It dun matter. E-mail me if ya  
want, ya got my addy. Right? Oh...no? Well, let me give it to you.  
  
Vietgyrl81@aol.com  
  
There ya go!   
  
Hugs and kisses,  
Mana  
  



End file.
